HORSHAM v AVELEY

Goring's Mead, Horsham

Ryman League Premier Division

Saturday 4th February, kick-off 3pm

MATCH PREVIEW

Horsham will surely have no better opportunity of recording their first league win since August when they entertain second bottom Aveley this Saturday. The Millers have won just 3 league games this season, and only once since mid-October, and this week parted company with manager Lee Hodges after just 10 weeks in charge.

"I don't know whether the situation will help us or not but I'm sorry that Lee won't be in charge" said Hugo Langton. "I've so much time for him because he was a great player and showed when we went up there what a terrific bloke he is." The former West Ham man enjoyed immediate success after taking over the hot seat from previous incumbent Carl Griffiths, recording a 2-1 success over the Hornets in his first match, but his decision to leave the Mill Field this week has left the club in shock. "Whilst results have not been as everyone at the club would have liked, Lee's call to me was still a bolt out of the blue to us all" said Millers Secretary Craig Johnson. "Only two weeks ago Chairman Graham Gennings spoke to Lee and told him his position was safe, irrespective of what looked likely to be relegation from the Ryman Premier Division." Player-Coach Joe Keith has been put in temporary charge of team affairs, with the club looking to make an appointment in due course with next season being its main focus.

One player hoping to profit from any uncertainty in the Essex ranks is winger Tony Nwachukwu who, if selected, will make his 100th appearance for the Hornets. The former youth star was a central figure during the early weeks of the season and has shown signs of recapturing that form in the last couple of games after returning from a hamstring injury.

Horsham sit 7 points behind Saturday's opponents, and a further 9 from safety, but Langton was keen to allay fears that his side had thrown in the towel. "At the start of the week I went on record as saying that we are as good as down. I don't think that's being negative, or defeatist, but realistic. However, I can promise our supporters that we will not go down without a fight and I will be expecting my players to go and to try to win every one of our remaining fixtures. The players are playing for their futures at the club so I will expect nothing less than 100% effort from all of them between now and the end of the season."

TEAM NEWS

Horsham
Horsham are hoping to secure the signing of a striker before the weekend but have doubts over Ian Varley, who is troubled by a knee injury, and will be without the on-field contribution of Craig Wilkins after the coach announced his retirement this week. Jake Jacobs is available for selection after missing last week's heavy defeat at Concord Rangers but Ryan Woodford is unlikely to feature again until the latter stages of the season.

Aveley
Midfielder Abs Thompson will serve the last of his 3 match suspension.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Down Memory Lane:

4th February 2009 - Horsham booked themselves a Sussex Senior Cup semi-final appearance against Brighton with a deserved win over old rivals Lewes on a dramatic night at Woodside Road. The Conference National strugglers displayed an overwhelming lack of confidence and made the worst possible start by conceding twice inside the opening 10 minutes, first when the unmarked Steve Davies nodded home an Alex Haddow cross on 4 minutes, and then when Gary Charman thundered a header in to the back of the net from Russell Eldridge's corner. Josh Klein-Davies pulled one back for the visitors on 25 minutes but he wasted an excellent chance to get the Rooks back on level terms when Rob Tolfrey saved his 68th minute penalty. Claude Seanla completed the scoring, 4 minutes later, with his 5th goal in 3 games to secure a long overdue victory over the Dripping Pan side.
FINAL SCORE: Horsham 3 Lewes 1 (Sussex Senior Cup Quarter-Final)